River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-04-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular cOrrespOndent.l

Ifrom our Regular correspondent
April 22nd, 1887.
There is dearth of news in Wash
ingtOn just at this moment. and public
attention is concentrated upon the
National Drill, which is only few
weeks off now. Preparations at the
camp ground and the drill ground are
under way. the list of entries for par
ticipation in the contest is quite large,
and indications are that there will be
All immense crowd of visitors from all
parts OF the United States to witness
the novel event, as well as a grand
gathering of citizen soldiery.
The largest meeting of the bench
and bar ever held in this city took
place at the City Hall through respect
TO the memory of the late Judge Car
ter. The death of the Chief Justice
removes an historic and prominent
figure from the District bench, and
from Washington's list of notable
men. He was a political power in
the early days of the Republican
party, the close friend and adviser of
President Lincoln, Secretary Stanton
and other Republican leaders, and has
been at the head of the District bench
since its creation. He was a man of
profound political sagacitY and spot
less personal character, while his
powers as a speaker might be char
acteriZed by breadth of information,
brightness of Wit and force of diction,
the effect of which was scarcely les
sened, if at all, by stammering de-
livery.
In regard to the vacancy caused by
the Judges death. which will be filled
soon by the President, a member of
the bar said that the lawyers of the
District were so much disguised be-
cause their wishes were not consulted
in the last appointment that it was
doubtful what action they would take,
or whether they would take any. lie
referred to the appointment of Judge
Montgomery, Mr.. Cleveland late
Commissioner of Patents, who tailed
so signally in that capacity that he felt
to resign and seek a snug
nest in another branch of the sery-
ice.
Rev. DR.. Burchard has been on a
visit to Washington but did not go to
the White House, as most visitors to
the Capital do. He is the clergyman,
you remember who distinguished him.
self during the Presidential campaign
of "a by characterizing the Demo
cratic party as the party of "Rum,
ROmanism and Rebellion" He
peached last Sunday in DIR. Newman
the Metropolitan, and was
the object of a good deal of curious
the people being anxious to
see the man of 1.-THE three RS" His
friends, including the Presidents
pastor, (Dr. Sunderland) insisted upon
his calling upon Mr.. Cleveland for
whom he was accused of having done
so much. but he declined to 90.
Three times a week at one O'Clock
p. NJ. President Cleveland comes down
to the East Room to shake hands with
the people who have gathered there
for this purpose. The crowd, which
is composed principally of visitors to
the city, and is controlled, as to size.
much by the weather, averages from
one to four hundred persons each day.
Usually the reception passes off with
out any incident of note, but not al
ways TO the presidents satisfaction.
For instance yesterday he was very
much annoyed by half a dozen news
paper youths who stood near him and
commented upon the callers attending
his reception. Their remarks were
audible and they had something to say
about every individual who passed by.
OF course such conduct was totally de-
void of good breeding and full of I'M
kindness of spirit, and the president
administered TO the group of would be
wits the only rebuke in his power,
which was to turn and look reproach-
fully at them several times.
Among the many memorable ami
versarIes connected with that exciting
period at the close of the war with
which the past week has been full, was
that of Emancipation. The day is al
ways celebrated in the District of
Columbia with considerable display
and this time preparations were made
for unusually large festivities. Just
at the hour they were to have COM
menced with unprecedented ''pomp
and circumstance, everything col
lapsed with pitiless rainfall, and our
cOlored citizens got little satisfaction
out of their parade. Plumes dropped,
sashes were bedraggled, and banners
dripping and wet refused TO play on
the breeze. Only section of the long
procession that was to have been fell
into line and passed in review by the